NRLF 


B   M    17D   412 


GEOLOGICAL   SURVEY  OF  KENTUCKY 

IQiiN    R.    PROCTER,    DIRECTOR 


RESOURCES 


OF    THE 


NORTH  CUMBERLAND  VALLEY 


COMPRISING    -ARTS    OF 


WHITLEY,  KNOX,  BELL,  HARLAN,  AND  LETCHER  COUNTIES. 
BY  JOHN  R.   PROCTER. 


PART    IV.     VOL.    VI.     SECOND    SERIES 


2gi  &  292 


EXCHANGE 


II 


GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  KENTUCKY. 

JOHN    R.    PROCTER,    DIRECTOR 


RESOURCES 


OF   THE 


NORTH  CUMBERLAND  VALLEY 


COMPRISING   PARTS   OF 


WHITLEY,  KNOX,  BELL,  HARLAN,  AND  LETCHER  COUNTIES. 

BY  JOHN  R.  PROCTER. 
PART    IV.     VOL.    VI.     SECOND    SERIES,, 

291  &  292 


ifl* 


INTRODUCTORY    LETTER. 


I 


OFFICE  OF  THE  KENTUCKY  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 
AND  BUREAU  OF  IMMIGRATION, 

FRANKFORT,  KY.,  October  26,  1880 

To  His  Excellency,  LUKE  P.  BLACKBURN, 

Governor  of  Kentucky : 

SIR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  for  your  approval 
a  Report  on  the  Resources  of  the  North  Cumberland  Valley, 
hoping  that  the  information  therein  contained  may  call  atten- 
tion to  the  great  natural  advantages  of  that  section,  and  aid  in 
its  development  and  in  the  securing  of  transportation  facilities 
necessary  to  make  these  resources  available. 
I  remain,  sir,  most  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  R.  PROCTER, 

State  Geologist. 

293  &  294 


331371 


THE  RESOURCES  OF  THE  NORTH  CUMBER- 
LAND VALLEY. 


The  topography  and  geology  of  this  region  will  be  under- 
stood by  a  study  of  the  section  given  below  and  the  accom- 
panying maps.  The  Cumberland  Mountain  to  the  eastward 
forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  great  Apalachian  coal- 
field. The  line  between  Kentucky  and  Virginia  follows  the 
top  of  Cumberland  Mountain  from  Cumberland  Gap  to  a 
point  near  Crank's  Gap,  about  forty  miles  to  the  northeast, 
where  the  mountain  bends  to  the  eastward  and  extends  into 
Virginia.  From  this  point  the  line  follows  the  top  of  the 
Black  Mountains  until  it  reaches  the  Pine  Mountain  near 
Pound  Gap.  Pine  Mountain,  caused  by  a  recent  fault,  extends 
from  the  Virginia  line  near  Pound  Gap  to  a  point  on  the  Ken- 
tucky-Tennessee line  in  Whitley  county,  where  it  is  broken 
through  by  the  Clear  Fork  of  the  Cumberland  river,  and 
continues  in  Tennessee  past  Elk  Creek  Gap.  It  will  be  seen 
from  the  following  section  that  the  region  to  be  described, 


A   Valley  of  Straight  Creek 

B    Valley  of  the  Poor  Fork  of  Cumberland  River 


C    Sub  Carl>.  Limestone 
D    Poor  Valley 
E    Powell's  Valley 


lying  between  these  mountains,  is  composed  of  carboniferous 
rocks  of  great  thickness  resting  in  a  broad  synclinal  valley.* 
This  great  valley  is  drained  by  the  waters  of  the  North  Cum- 

*The  massive  sandstone  capping  Pine  and  Cumberland  Mountains  is  the  conglomerate 
at  the  base  of  the  coal  measures. 

295 


6  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

berland,  the  stream  passing  through  a  gap  in  Pine  Mountain 
at  Pineville,  the  county  seat  of  Bell  county.  The  valleys  have 
an  elevation  of  from  1,100  feet  to  1,500  feet,  and  the  moun- 
tains an  elevation  of  from  2,000  to  3,500  feet  above  the  sea. 
The  accompanying  photograph  of  Yellow  Creek  Valley  well 
represents  the  character  of  this  region.  The  view  is  taken 
from  Cumberland  Gap,  looking  northwest.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  the  slopes  of  these  mountains  are  gentle,  often 
not  too  steep  for  cultivation,  and  that  on  the  uplands  are 
broad,  fertile  plateaus  many  miles  in  extent.  There  is  less 
waste  land  than  in  any  mountain  region  with  which  I  am  ac- 
quainted. The  mountains  in  this  region  are  known  by  various 
local  names,  such  as  Canada  Mountain,  Log  Mountain,  Little 
and  Big  Black  Mountain.  In  this  report  they  will  all  be  called 
the  Black  Mountains.  This  region  possesses  such  a  remark- 
able combination  of  soil,  climate,  water,  timber  resources,  coal 
and  iron,  that  it  needs  but  to  be  known  to  receive  proper 
attention  from  persons  seeking  desirable  homes  and  a  field 
for  profitable  investments.  I  hazard  nothing  in  saying  it  is 
a  region  of  unsurpassed  resources. 

SOIL. 

I  believe  the  name  Black  Mountains  was  given  to  designate 
the  deep,  rich  soil  with  which  these  mountains  are  covered. 
The  soils  of  this  entire  region  surpass  any  coal-measure  soils 
within  my  knowledge.  Dr.  David  Dale  Owen,  Director  of 
the  first  Geological  Survey,  says  :  * 

"The  richness  of  the  soil  on  the  slopes,  and  even  on  the 
summit  of  the  Log  Mountain,  is  a  matter  of  surprise,  sup- 
porting a  heavy  growth  of  walnut,  cherry,  oak,  poplar,  locust, 
and  chestnut.  The  black,  rich  mold  of  the  Log  Mountains  is 
owing  to  prevalence  of  dark  carbonaceous  shales,  which  no 
doubt  contain  more  or  less  lime,  either  in  the  substance  of 
the  shale  itself,  or  derived  from  the  calcareous  segregations 
therein  imbedded.  The  Log  Mountain  and  its  peculiar  for- 
mation extends  into  Harlan  county,  and  is  continued  under 

*  Volume  I,  old  series,  pages  222-3. 
296 


SOIL TIMBERS.  7 

the  name  of  the  '  Big  and  Little  Black  Mountains '  from  south- 
west to  northeast,  until  it  reaches  the  Virginia  line." 

The  above  attests  the  fertility  of  the  soil  on  the  uplands. 
Dr.  Robert  Peter,  Chemist  of  the  Geological  Survey,  and 
widely  known  for  his  great  abilities  as  an  agricultural  chemist, 
after  an  examination  of  these  soils,  says:*  "The  soil  from 
the  plateau  and  summit  is  much  richer  than  might  have  been 
expected.  Its  large  proportion  of  organic  and  volatile  mat- 
ters, as  well  as  alkalies  in  the  insoluble  silicates,  indicate  the 
influence  of  the  primeval  forest  growth,  with  which  it  is  cov- 
ered, in  retaining  the  elements  of  fertility  on  the  surface. 
The  unusually  large  proportion  of  silicates,  rich  in  alkalies, 
in  the  rock  material  from  which  the  soil  was  derived,  may 
have  been  another  cause." 

Mr.  L.  H.  DeFriese,  in  his  report  on  the  forests  of  the 
North  Cumberland,  after  describing  the  depth  of  soil  on  the 
slopes  of  the  mountains,  says:f  "The  consequence  is,  that 
in  the  parts  of  the  Black  Mountains  familiar  to  me,  even  on 
the  steepest  slopes,  there  is  a  rich  soil  of  from  two  to  four 
feet  in  depth.  For  this  reason  there  is  a  growth  of  chestnut, 
yellow  poplar,  black  walnut,  white  and  blue  ash,  birch,  linden, 
and  white  hickory  that  I  have  never  seen  surpassed." 

TIMBERS. 

As  Mr.  L.  H.  DeFriese  has  made  the  study  of  timbers  a 
specialty,  the  following  extracts  from  his  report  on  the  timbers 
of  the  North  Cumberland^  well  attest  the  peculiar  richness 
of  that  section  in  valuable  timbers. 

Of  a  section  made  by  him  across  the  mountains,  near  the 
line  between  Bell  and  Harlan  counties,  he  says:  "About  500 
feet  below  the  crest  of  the  mountain  I  found  a  remarkable  belt 
of  the  finest  old  forest  walnut  timber  I  have  ever  seen.  *  * 
The  walnut  is  growing  on  a  very  rich,  loamy  soil,  partly  de- 
tritus and  partly  decayed  vegetable  matter,  about  two  feet 

*Page  35,  Chemical  Report,  Part  I,  Vol.  IV,  new  series. 

tPage  5,  Part  IX,  Vol.  IV,  new  series,  Kentucky  Geological  Survey. 

%  Part  IX,  Volume  IV,  new  series,  Kentucky  Geological  Reports. 

297 


8  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

deep,  almost  entirely  devoid  of  undergrowth.  *  *  *  This 
walnut-bearing  belt  winds  along  the  mountain  as  far  as  I  had 
time  to  trace  it.  *  *  *  On  the  northern  exposure  opposite, 
on  the  contrary,  about  thirty-five  per  cent,  of  the  timber  was 
massive  yellow  poplar,  many  trees  of  which  were  six  and 
seven  feet  in  diameter,  with-  trunks  sixty  to  eighty  feet  high. 
*****  The  white  hickory  and  blue  and  black  ash  rank 
next  in  value,  and  they  all  abound  in  the  Black  Mountains 
especially.  *  *  *  The  red  maple,  which  is  growing  into 
favor  in  cabinet  work,  also  abounds  in  Bell  and  Harlan  coun- 
ties. The  linden  (Tilia  Americana)  is  also  found  in  large 
quantities  through  these  mountains,  and  is  very  valuable  in 
cabinet  work/'  &c. 

"  After  crossing  (see  page  15)  into  Harlan  county,  I  made 
a  section  to  the  top  of  Black  Mountain  up  Gray's  branch,  and 
came  down  a  different  way,  so  as  to  get  two  sections ;  the 
results  are  here  given  in  detail."  I  copy  only  a  few  references 
from  Mr.  DeFriese's  report.  Ascending  the  hill  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  100  feet,  he  says:  "The  yellow  poplars  are  five  to 
seven  feet  in  diameter,  with  trunks  sixty  to  eighty  feet  long. 
The  white  ash  is  also  extremely  heavy,  and  the  blue  ash  as 
fate  as  I  ever  saw."  At  an  elevation  of  200  feet:  "No  per- 
ceptible change  in  the  splendor  of  the  forest."  The  timber 
remains  of  the  same  character,  with  such  changes  as  are 
noticed  up  to  an  elevation  of  1,050  feet,  where  he  says  :  "  The 
splendor  of  the  forest  can  hardly  be  imagined  ;  the  belt  of  wal- 
nut before  mentioned  begins  to  show  itself  here,  while  the 
yellow  poplar,  the  chestnut,  and  the  white  hickory  are  of  the 
finest."  "At  this  height  (1,250  feet)  crosses  the  curious  belt, 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  whose  timber  is  old  forest  walnut.  In 
size  and  quality  these  trees  have  no  superior  in  this  country,  so 
far  as  I  know"  Elsewhere,  speaking  of  this  walnut  belt,  Mr. 
DeFnese  says:  "One  of  the  many  magnificent  walnut  trees  I 
found  in  this  peculiar  belt  was  fourteen  feet  six  inches  in  cir- 
cumference, with  a  curling,  but  straight  and  beautiful,  trunk, 
sixty  feet  in  length.  In  an  area  of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty 
square  yards  in  this  belt,  the  principal  timbers  were : 
298 


TIMBERS COAL.  9 

Black  walnut 6;  average  diameter  ....  40  inches. 

Buckeye 5 ;  average  diameter  ....  29  inches. 

White  ash 3  ;  one  with  diameter.  ...  34  inches. 

Linden 6;  average  diameter  .       .    .  23  inches." 

In  addition  to  the  valuable  timbers  enumerated  above,  the 
region  described  abounds  in  valuable  .white  walnut,  cherry, 
elms,  magnolias,  sweet  gum,  beech,  and  other  timbers.  On 
the  slopes  of  Pine  Mountain  to  the  west,  and  Cumberland 
Mountain  on  the  east,  are  the  timbers  usually  found  on  the 
conglomerate  sandstone  —  hemlock  along  the  base  of  the 
mountains,  pitch  pine  (Pinus  rigida),  and  the  yellow  pine 
(Pinus  mitis},  and  chestnut  oak,  are  very  abundant  and  of 
the  best  quality.  Excepting  the  clearings  in  the  valleys,  the 
timbers  of  this  section  remain  almost  untouched.  The  diffi- 
culty of  running  logs  over  the  falls  of  the  Cumberland  and 
the  Smith's  shoals  has  been  the  cause  of  the  preservation  of 
this  magnificent  timber  region.  According  to  the  best  esti- 
mates I  can  make,  at  least  ninety  per  cent,  of  this  area  is 
yet  covered  with  primitive  forest  growth.  Taking  the  popula- 
tion of  Bell  and  Harlan  counties  as  returned  by  the  census,  of 
1870,  and  the  area  as  returned  to  the  State  Auditor,  the  pop- 
ulation of  these  counties  is  5.2  per  square  mile.  The  popu- 
lation of  Massachusetts  was,  in  1875,  211.78  per  square  mile, 
and  as  this  region  is  capable  of  supporting  a  larger  population 
per  square  mile  by  agriculture  than  Massachusetts,  and  the 
manufacturing  capabilities  are  as  great,  as  will  presently  be 
shown,  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  a  great  development  in 
the  near  future. 

COAL. 

The  coal-measures  have  here  a  thickness  of  over  two  thou- 
sand feet  above  drainage — thicker  than  elsewhere  in  America. 
Thus  far,  only  preliminary  reconnoissance  work  has  been  done 
by  the  Geological  Survey,  and  the  densely  wooded  condition, 
with  the  depth  of  soil,  is  unfavorable  for  discovery  of  coal 
beds ;  but  enough  has  been  done  to  establish  the  existence  of 
many  beds  of  workable  thickness  and  of  very  superior  quality. 
In  a  report  on  a  reconnoissance  in  the  Upper  Cumberland  sec- 


10 


RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 


tion,  Prof.  A.  R.  Crandall  says:*  "  The  thickness  of  the  coaK 
measures  is  greater  by  many  hundred  feet  than  in  any  other 
part  of  Kentucky.  The  number  of  the  coals  is  also  greater. 
*  *  *  *  The  quality  of  the  coals  of  this  valley  is  most  excel- 
lent. The  proportion  of  ash  and  sulphur  is  very  low  in  all 
that  have  been  analyzed,  with  the  exception  of  one  cannel 
coal,  and  the  fixed  carbon  is  high." 

The  following  are  analyses  of  some  of  these  coals  from 
samples  carefully  averaged  by  members  of  the  Geological 
Survey,  representing  the  entire  thickness  of  bed.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  these  samples  were  taken  from  imper- 
fect openings,  and  cannot  represent  the  coal  at  its  best : 


No.  i. 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

No.  4. 

No.  5. 

No.  6. 

No.  7. 

No.  8. 

Moisture             

I.  7O 

5-  20 

2.96 

1.50 

I.OO 

I.QO 

1.26 

1.36 

35.70 

31.  26 

35-28 

07.04 

43.60 

37.  50 

33.96 

35.80 

60  08 

58  40 

47  80 

C.C.  C2 

Ash 

o   46 

2    36 

2    l6 

7  60 

Total 

Coke         

62.60 

65.  54 

61.76 

60.56 

55  60 

60.60 

64.08 

62.84 

Sulphur   

0.750 

0.618 

0.736 

1.038 

o.  590 

i.  519 

2.672 

0.9/5 

i  280 

1  282 

No.  i.  Clover  Fork  coal,  Harlan  county,  54  inches  thick. 

No.  2.  Skidmore  Bank,  Martin's  Fork. 

No.  3.   Hignite  Branch,  Bell  county. 

No.  4.  Clear  Fork  of  Yellow  creek. 

No.  5.  Cannel  coal,  Fork  Ridge. 

No.  6.   Straight  Creek  coal. 

No.  7.  Fork  Ridge ;  a  four-foot  coal  above  the  cannel. 

No.  8.  Clear  Fork,  four  feet  thick. 

As  indicated  on  page  5,  the  line  between  Kentucky  and 
Virginia  leaves  the  Cumberland  Mountain  about  forty  miles 
east  from  Cumberland  Gap,  and  traverses  the  crest  of  one 
of  the  ridges  of  the  Black  Mountain,  the  divide  between  the 
waters  of  the  Upper  Cumberland  and  Powell's  river,  so  that 
there  is  an  area  of  coal  measures  in  Southwestern  Virginia. 
A  portion  of  this  region  was  explored  by  Prof.  J.  P.  Lesley 


*  Part  XII,  Vol.  IV,  second  series,  Kentucky  Geological  Reports. 
300 


COAL.  I  I 

in  1871,  and  his  report*  attests  the  value  of  the  coals  of  that 
section.  He  says,  speaking  of  the  six-foot  bed:  "  At  one 
placej  where  the  bed  had  been  dug  a  little  into,  it  yields  the 
best  kind  of  bituminous  coal,  fat  and  caking,  but  friable,  with 
no  appearance  of  sulphur,  and  making  no  clinker.  It  is  a 
good  blacksmith  coal,  and  no  doubt  will  make  a  good  coke. 
A  piece  of  ill-made  coke  shows  that  the  best  coke  can  be  got 
from  it." 

Prof.  John  J.  Stevenson  has  recently  made  explorations  on 
the  head  waters  of  Roaring  and  Pigeon  Fork  of  Powell's  river, 
near  the  Kentucky  line,  and  reports  coal  of  great  thickness 
and  superior  quality.  The  coals  were  analyzed  by  Mr.  A. 
S.  McCreath,  Chemist  to  the  Geological  Survey  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Referring  to  these  analyses,  Mr.  McCreath  says:f 
"The  above  analyses  speak  for  themselves,  and  indicate  coals 
of  remarkable  purity." 

Prof.  Stevenson  adds:  "This  eight-foot  seam  will  yield  a 
coke  with  considerably  less  than  three  per  cent,  of  ash,  and 
with  but  little  more  than  five-tenths  of  a  per  cent,  of  sulphur. 
Such  would  be  a  marvelously  rich  coke,  the  percentage  of 
fixed  carbon  being  somewhat  more  than  ninety-six.  The 
Connellsville  coke  has  somewhat  less  than  ninety  per  cent, 
of  fixed  carbon,  the  ash  is  between  nine  and  ten  per  cent., 
whilst  the  average  sulphur  is  about  eight-tenths  of  a  per 
cent,"  I  have  a  sample  of  coke  carelessly  made  from  this 
coal  which  is  excellent  and  of  great  strength. 

An  examination  of  the  iron  ores  contiguous  to  the  above- 
mentioned  coals  will  convey  an  appreciation  of  their  value. 
For  purposes  of  comparison  I  give  below  analyses  of  the  best 
coals  from  neighboring  States.  These  coals  were  sampled  by 
members  of  the  Kentucky  Survey  in  the  same  manner  as  were 
the  Kentucky  coals,  and  were  analyzed  by  the  Chemists  of 
the  Kentucky  Survey.  Dr.  Robert  Peter  says :  J  "Seven  of 
the  best  coals  from  the  State  of  Ohio,  two  of  the  best  of  those 

*  Read  before  the  American  Philosophical  Society  April  21,  1871. 
t  Page  18,  report  to  the  Tinsalia  Iron  and  Coal  Company. 
\  Page  146,  Vol.  I,  new  series,  Kentucky  Geological  Reports. 

301 


12 


RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 


of  Illinois,  and  three  of  the  celebrated  '  Black  Coals '  of  In- 
diana, used  there  for  iron  smelting,  &c.,  were  submitted  to 
similar  processes  of  analysis  with  our  Kentucky  coals.  We 
give  results  as  follows:  " 


States. 

No. 
analyzed. 

Volatile 
comb,  matter 

Fixed  carbon 
in  coke. 

Per   cent,    of 
ash. 

Per  cent,    of 
sulphur. 

Ohio    
Illinois 

7 

2 

34-59 
3i  CK 

55-17 

CO.  O6 

6-43 

S   Q6 

1.494 
1  .024. 

Indiana, 

•j 

-?e   03 

CA.  24. 

7    2^ 

i  .046 

General  average  . 

12 

34-13 

56.12 

6.54 

1.768 

Iron  ores  not  so  rich  as  can  be  had  near  the  Upper  Cum- 
berland coals  are  carried  hundreds  of  miles  to  be  smelted  by 
the  above  coals  in  the  three  neighboring  States. 

Taking  for  comparison  analyses  of  five  celebrated  coals 
from  the  reports  of  the  Second  Geological  Survey  of  Penn- 
sylvania (Report  "H.  H."),  as  follows:  "  Cambria  Iron  Com- 
pany's Mines,"  "  Coal  A,  Woodcock  Mine,"  "  Kittanning  Coal 
E,"  "  Cambria  Coal  and  Coke  Company,"  and  the  celebrated 
"coking  coal  near  Johnstown,"  as  analyzed  by  the  Chemist 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Survey,  gave  respectively  of  ash,  6.930, 
5.750,  4.750,  6.163,  and  8.83,  and  of  sulphur,  2.843,  °-S^7> 
2.728,  2.352,  and  2.78.  The  coals  of  the  Upper  Cumberland 
Valley  are  not  only  very  thick,  but  are  above  drainage,  and 
can  be  opened  at  small  cost  and  mined  very  cheaply. 

IRON  ORES. 

The  position  of  the  rocks,  and  the  relation  of  the  Clinton 
Group,  in  which  this  ore,  known  as  "Clinton,"  "Dyestone," 
and  "Fossil"  ore  is  situated,  to  this  region  is  shown  in  the 
section  on  page  5.  This  Clinton  ore  extends  irregularly  along 
the  eastern  escarpment  of  the  Alleghenies  from  Canada  to 
Alabama.  It  is  the  principal  source  of  local  supply  for  the 
furnaces  of  Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  source  of  supply  for  the 
furnaces  of  the  Roan  Iron  Company,  Tennessee  ;  the  furnaces 
in  the  Sequatchie  Valley,  and  most  of  the  furnaces  in  Eastern 

Alabama.     This  ore  is  very  persistent,  and  of  good  workable 
302 


IRON    ORES. 


thickness  along  the  entire  eastern  edge  of  the  region  under 
consideration,  from  Elk  Gap  in  Tennessee  to  and  beyond  Big 
Stone  Gap  in  southwestern  Virginia.  The  ore  at  Elk  Gap 
can  find  easy  access  to  the  coals  of  this  region  by  way  of  the 
proposed  extension  of  the  Knoxville  and  Ohio  Railway  down 
the  Elk  Fork  of  the  Cumberland.  There  has  been  a  develop- 
ment of  this  ore  near  Speedwell,  in  Tennessee,  where  it  has 
been  smelted  in  a  charcoal  furnace.  The  ore  can  be  brought 
to  the  coal  by  tunnelling  the  Cumberland  Mountain  at  one  of 
the  gaps  near  that  place.  At  Cumberland  Gap  and  eastward 
there  is  a  large  deposit  of  this  ore,  well  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying plate,  taken  from  Mr.  P.  N.  Moore's  report  on  "The 
Iron  Ores  in  the  Vicinity  of  Cumberland  Gap."*  The  several 
beds  of  ore  in  this  section,  near  the  Gap,  range  in  thickness 
at  from  22  inches  to  27  inches.  Eighteen  miles  east  from 
the  Gap  it  is  found  52  inches  thick;  at  Pennington  Gap,  yet 
further  east,  35  inches  thick,  and  at  or  near  Big  Stone  Gap 
the  several  beds  range  in  thickness  from  25  inches  to  7  feet 
2  inches. f 

The  quantity  of  this  ore  along  the  eastern  outcrop  of  this 
coal  is  unlimited.  In  quality  an  examination  of  the  following 
analysis  will  show  that  it  is  superior  to  the  Clinton  ores  of 
other  localities. 

SAMPLES  AVERAGED  BY  MR.  P.  N.  MOORE  AND  ANALYZED  BY  DR. 
ROBERT  PETER  AND  MR.  JOHN  H.  TALBUTT,  CHEMISTS  OF  THE  SUR- 
VEY. 


3  .042 

3.014 

77.38o 

77.Q7C 

3-941 

5-776 

Lime  carbonate           ..                .    .            .        .        .. 

.420 

4.  ^10 

tr. 

.266 

2.  Soo 

3.8<;o 

i  S  .  960 

ii  .730 

54.  166 

51.750 

.  140 

.  140 

tr. 

tr. 

*  Part  V,  Volume  IV,  second  series,  Kentucky  Geological  Reports, 
t  Report  of  Prof.  J.  J.  Stevenson,  page  13. 


303 


14  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

The  following  are  analyses  of  ores  from  the  Big  Stone  Gap 
district — No.  i  the  Clinton  ore,  and  No.  2  a  brown  hematite 
— by  Mr.  McCreath: 


No.   i. 

No.   2. 

52.600 

^2.  cc;6 

o  018 

O  O77 

o  116 

O   O^I 

18  140 

7    84.0 

For  purposes  of  comparison,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
analyses  of  the  Clinton  ores  in  Pennsylvania,  in  volume  "F," 
"Second  Survey  of  Pennsylvania." 

During  the  high  price  of  iron  in  1872  the  Clinton  ores  were 
carried  from  Alabama  to  Louisville  by  rail,  carted  from  the 
railway  through  that  city,  and  loaded  on  boats,  and  carried  to 
furnaces  in  Ohio  and  Western  Pennsylvania. 

The  excellent  ores  described  above  can  be  delivered  to 
furnaces  along  the  Eastern  border  of  the  Kentucky  coal-field 
at  prices  ranging  from  50  cents  to  $1.50  a  ton.  Prof.  Steven- 
son estimates  that  pig  iron  can  be  made  at  Big  Stone  Gap  at 
$8.25  per  ton.  The  above  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  ore  sup- 
ply to  be  relied  on  by  this  region.  The  writer,  in  a  report 
made  to  the  Kentucky  Legislature  in  the  winter  of  1875,  says: 
"The  great  Pine  Mountain  fault,  extending  across  the  State 
from  Pound  Gap  to  the  eastern  portion  of  Whitley  county, 
brings  the  level  of  this  ore  (Clinton)  above  the  drainage,  but 
it  is  so  covered  by  the  talus  from  the  mountain  that  the  ore 
has  not  yet  been  seen.  If  this  ore  extends  so  far  west,  we 
can  reasonably  expect  to  find  it  by  drifting  for  it  near  the  base 
of  Pine  Mountain.  The  dislocation  of  the  rocks  in  Elk  Fork, 
Tennessee,  and  the  Sequatchie  Valley  anticlinal  bring  up  this 
ore  and  prove  its  westward  extension,  and  as  these  disturb- 
ances are  but  an  extension  of  the  Pine  Mountain  dislocation, 
the  evidence  is  strong  that  the  ore  is  in  place  along  the  base 
of  Pine  Mountain."  Fragments  of  this  ore  have  been  found 
in  the  valley  of  Straight  creek,  along  the  base  of  Pine  Moun- 
tain. 
304 


IRON    ORES. 


In  addition  to  the  above  ores,  the  great  thickness  of  coal- 
measure  rocks  will  undoubtedly  yield  a  large  supply  of  carbo- 
nate ores.  Little  search  has  been  made  for  iron  ores  in  this 
region,  and  the  rocks  are  so  covered  with  the  deep  soil  and 
luxuriant  forest  growth  that  outcrops  of  such  ore  would  sel- 
dom be  seen.  The  fragments  of  such  ores  are  numerous  in 
the  streams,  and  some  workable  beds  have  been  discovered. 
The  following  are  analyses  of  ores  from  the  western  part  of 
the  region  under  discussion,  made  by  Dr.  Robert  Peter  for  the 
first  Geological  Survey  :  * 


A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

Carbonate  of  iron  

73-35 
3.36 

73-13 
4-94 

8o.no 

67.72 

6.QQ 

63.60 

Carbonate  of  lime 

.88 

i    i  ^ 

18 

3  38 

Carbonate  of  magnesia  .... 
Carbonate  of  manganese. 

2.67 

I    4-Q 

1-59 

•3    74. 

10.  15 

7O 

.... 

Alumina  
Phosphoric  acid 

.58 
.61 

•79 
.16 

1.88 

,:758 

76 

2.98 
31 

Bituminous  matter       .... 

3    2$ 

Silex  and  insoluble  silicates  .    . 
Moisture  and  loss  

9.88 

1.16 

9-95 
•63 

2.48 
12.66 

8.48 
0.56 

17-25 
13.75 

Percentage  of  iron   ...        .    . 

3Q.2O 

38  81 

c6.  37 

37.60 

44,  c? 

A.  Carbonate  of  iron,  Log  Mountain,  Whitley  county,  Ky. 

B.  Carbonate  of  iron,  under  Cumberland  Falls,  Whitley  county,  Ky. 

C.  Limonite,  headwaters  of  Mud  Creek,  Whitley  county,  Ky. 

D.  Carbonate  of  iron,  mouth  of  Poplar  Creek,  Whitley  county,  Ky. 

E.  Limonite,  south  part  of  Pine  Mountain,  Whitley  county,  Ky. 

There  are  good  carbonates  and  limonites  in  Pulaski  county, 
Ky.,  near  the  head  of  Indian  and  other  creeks,  which  can  be 
brought  into  this  valley  by  the  proposed  railway  (to  be  dis- 
cussed hereafter)  connecting  the  Cincinnati  Southern  with 
the  Cumberland  river  above  the  falls. 

It  is  evident  that  this  region  has  an  abundant  supply  of  ores, 
and  that  only  transportation  to  the  markets  of  the  country  is 
needed  to  insure  the  building  up  of  an  extensive  iron  industry. 
In  no  region  in  the  United  States  can  iron  be  produced  cheaper 
than  in  this  area  between  the  Pine  and  Cumberland  Mountains. 

*  Second  Chemical  Report,  page  276,  Vol.  II,  old  series,  Kentucky  Geological  Reports. 
VOL.   VI.-20  3°5 


1 6  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

A  discussion  of  the  advantages  as  an  iron-manufacturing  cen- 
ter would  be  incomplete  without  reference  to  the  very  rich 
and  pure  ores  of  the  East  Tennessee  and  Western  North 
Carolina  section.  I  believe  it  will  be  found  that  no  ores  of 
like  richness  and  purity  are  to  be  found  so  convenient  to  pure, 
cheap  coals  as  are  these  ores. 

The  imports  of  iron  ore  to  meet  the  extraordinary  demands 
for  Bessemer  pig-iron  was,  for  the  year  ending  December  31, 
1879,*  284,141  tons,  mostly  from  Spain  and  the  Mediterranean 
ports. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  furnaces  of  Western  Pennsylvania 
will  this  year  draw  500,000  tons  of  ore  from  abroad, f  mostly 
from  Spain  and  Algeria.  The  Lake  Superior  region  produced 
1,414,182  tons  last  year,  nearly  all  of  which  was  carried  to  the 
furnaces  in  the  Apalachian  coal-field,  as  was  the  product 
from  Iron  Mountain,  Missouri. 

The  production  of  steel  in  this  country  is  not  sufficient  for 
the  increasing  demands,  and  the  importation  of  steel  and 
steel-making  ores  from  abroad  is  largely  on  the  increase. 

In  1879  thirty-four  per  cent,  of  all  the  iron  produced  in  this 
country  was  made  into  steel.  The  nearness  of  the  very  pure 
ores  of  East  Tennessee  and  Western  North  Carolina  to  the 
pure  coals  in  the  Upper  Cumberland  region  are  an  assurance 
that,  with  transportation  secured,  that  region  will  be  one  of 
the  great  iron  and  steel-producing  centers  of  the  world.  As 
it  requires  about  five  tons  of  coke  to  produce  a  ton  of  finished 
bar  iron  or  steel,  it  is  evident  that  these  ores  will  be  brought 
to  the  coal,  and  for  this  reason  we  have  an  interest  in  the 
quality,  quantity,  and  future  development  of  these  ores. 

The  scope  of  this  report  will  not  permit  anything  beyond  a 
mere  mention  of  some  of  the  principal  ores  of  the  Unaka  and 
Blue  Ridge  section.  The  ore  of  most  importance  is  probably 
the  celebrated  magnetite  ore  near  Cranberry,  North  Carolina, 
and  the  extension  of  same  ore  in  Carter  county,  Tennessee. 
Prof.  W.  C.  Kerr,  State  Geologist  of  North  Carolina,  says 

*  Annual  report  of  Secretary  American  Iron  and  Steel  Association  for  1879,  page  17. 

t  Report  of  Prof.  W.  C.  Kerr,  on  visit  to  Pittsburgh,  made  to  the  Governor  of  North 
Carolina  April,  1880. 
306 


IRON    ORES. 


of  this  ore:  *  "  In  quality  this  ore  is  unsurpassed  by  any  iron 
in  the  world,  and  in  regard  to  quantity,  the  bed  much  exceeds 
the  great  deposits  of  Missouri  and  Michigan,  and  at  least 
equals  anything  in  the  Champlain  region,  so  that  it  has  not 
probably  an  equal  in  this  country." 

The    quality   of  the    ore    will  be    seen  from  the  following 
analyses: 


No.   i. 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

No.  4. 

No.  5. 

Magnetic  oxide  of  iron   .... 
Oxide  of  manganese    .    .    .    .    . 

94-37 

O   20 

91.45 

0.06 

85.59 

O   24. 

80.77 

I    4.2 

91.89 

O    32 

O   4.2 

o  77 

O.  II 

O    EJ2 

I  .03 

O.4.7 

1  .01 

O.72 

1.  06 

w'*0 

O.  36 

O.  C3 

O.  33 

O   23 

Water  

0.44. 

I  .  ^3 

8    21 

I    I"i 

Silica    pyroxene    &c     .... 

4.  16 

e    74 

II    48 

9  08 

4  O2 

O'  llr 

68.^4. 

66.22 

61  q.8 

e8   4.Q 

66.  58 

The  first  four  of  these  analyses  are  by  Dr.  Genth,  who 
says:  "The  first  three  samples  contain  neither  titanic  acid 
nor  phosphorus  and  sulphur.  The  fourth  contains  a  trace  of 
phosphoric  acid."  No.  5  was  analyzed  by  Prof.  Chandler,  of 
the  Columbia  College  School  of  Mines,  New  York  City,  who 
says  :  "  This  is  the  best  iron  ore  I  have  ever  analyzed.  It  is  very 
rich  in  iron,  and  very  free  from  sulphur  and  phosphorus." 

In  Carter  county,  Tennessee,  near  the  State  line,  is  an 
extension  of  this  wonderful  deposit.  There  are  also  in  John- 
son and  Carter  counties  other  valuable  iron  ores.  The  fol- 
lowing are  analyses  of  some  of  these  ores :  f 


No.   i. 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

Combined  oxygen  

2C.6O 

22.07 

24.29 

Water  

O   22 

c.4i 

0.67 

Silica    ... 

2.17 

10.32 

6.30 

O.o6 

0.03 

•-> 
0.06 

O.OO3 

0.09 

0.07 

CQ.7C 

51.50 

63.72 

*  Geology  of  North  Carolina,  Vol.  I,  1875,  PaSe  266- 

|See  description  of   these  ores,  "Tennessee,  Its  Agricultural  and   Mineral  Wealth," 
Nashville,  1876;  Dr.  Safford's  Geology  of  Tennessee,  Nashville,  1869.  307 


1 8  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

A  system  of  railway  already  under  contract  will,  within  the 
following  year,  bring  the  above-mentioned  ores  of  Tennessee 
and  North  Carolina  in  connection  with  the  coal  under  discus- 
sion. In  Greene,  Cocke,  Blount,  and  other  counties  of  East 
Tennessee  are  high  grade  ores,  which  will  be  briefly  referred 
to  in  discussing  the  railway  system  of  this  region.  The  fine 
deposits  of  ore  in  Bompass  creek,  Washington  county,  are 
described  in  a  paper  read  by  Prof.  J.  P.  Lesley  before  the 
American  Philosophical  Society,  May  3,  1872. 

A  remarkable  deposit  of  iron  ore  is  found  in  Rockingham 
and  Guilford  counties,  North  Carolina.  This  ore  is  not  only 
valuable  for  the  manufacture  of  high  grade  iron  and  steel,  but 
is  highly  prized  as  a  lining  for  puddling  furnaces.  Five  tons 
were  sent  to  the  works  of  Mr.  Nathan  Rowland,  Kensing- 
ton, near  Philadelphia,  and,  upon  trial,  this  ore  stood  up  three 
times  as  long  as  the  Champlain  ore.  Prof.  J.  P.  Lesley,  in 
summing  up  the  results  of  his  investigations  of  this  ore  belt, 
says  :  *  "It  is  an  advantage,  therefore,  that  while  many  Can- 
ada ores  hold  25  and  30  and  35  per  cent,  of  titanic  acid,  your 
company's  ore  has  less  than  15,  leaving  the  percentage  of 
metallic  iron  over  50.  At  the  same  time  you  have  all  the  ad- 
vantages which  the  presence  of  titanium  affords:  ist.  Making 
the  ore  so  firm  that  it  is  the  best  possible  for  lining  puddling 
furnaces;  2d.  Making  the  iron  tougher  and  harder,  like  the 
best  Sweden  iron ;  and,  3d.  Imparting  a  certain  quality  (the 
cause  of  which  is  not  yet  understood)  which  adapts  the  iron 
especially  for  the  manufacture  of  steel.  *  *  *  *  The  quality 
of  ore,  although  various,  and  suited  to  at  least  two  branches 
of  the  iron  manufacture,  is  of  the  very  first  rate ;  none  better 
in  the  world. 

"The  soft  ores  will  smelt  easily  and  make  magnificent 
iron ;  absolutely  the  very  best — perfectly  malleable,  tough, 
and  strong. 

"The  hard  ores  will  command  a  high  price  for  puddlers' 
linings ;  will  be  in  demand  for  mixing  with  poorer  ores  of 
other  regions  in  the  blast  furnace,  to  increase  the  quantity 

*  "The  Tuscarora  Iron  Ore  Belt  in  North  Carolina:"  Philadelphia,  1871. 
308 


IRON    ORES TRANSPORTATION    ROUTES.  19 

and  quality  of  their  pig  metal,  and  will  have  an  especial  value 
for  the  Siemens  and  Bessemer  processes  and  the  steel  manu- 
factures generally.  The  quantity  of  the  ore  is  limitless." 

In  Chatham  and  Orange  counties  is  another  remarkable 
deposit  of  iron  ores.  The  Chapel  Hill  ore,  a  dense,  steel-grey 
hematite,  specular  in  part,  slightly  magnetic,  is  from  7  to  30 
feet  thick,  has  65.77  Per  cent.  of  metallic  iron,  with  2.63  silica, 
1.68  per  cent,  of  alumina,  and  but  0.04  per  cent,  of  phosphoric 
acid.  In  Caldwell  county  is  a  large  deposit  of  "martite"  a 
schist  of  specular  ore,  resembling  the  ore  from  the  "  New 
York  Mine/'  of  the  Lake  Superior  region.  Reference  has 
been  made  to  but  a  few  of  the  ores  of  this  favored  region. 

Nearly  all  of  the  magnetic  and  specular  ores  of  the  United 
States  are  smelted  by  furnaces  in  the  Apalachian  coal-field, 
or  by  coke  furnished  from  that  region.  Assuming  Connells- 
ville  to  be  the  centre  of  the  iron  manufacturing  region  of  the 
Northern  States,  we  find  the  distance  by  straight  line  (the 
available  railway  lines  will  be  of  course  much  greater)  from 
Marquette  iron  region  to  Connellsville,  700  miles ;  from  Iron 
Mountain,  Missouri,  to  Connellsville,  650  miles ;  from  the 
Champlain  region  to  Connellsville,  450  miles.  From  the 
celebrated  Cranberry  ore  or  North  Carolina  to  the  coals  of 
Southeastern  Kentucky,  by  an  available  railway  route,  it  is 
less  than  one  hundred  miles. 

TRANSPORTATION    ROUTES. 

At  present  this  district  is  without  railway  transportation. 
From  Cumberland  Gap  to  Morristown,  the  nearest  station  on 
the  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  Railway,  it  is  thirty  miles, 
and  to  Livingston,  the  present  terminus  of  the  Knoxville 
Division  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railway,  it  is  sev- 
enty miles.  From  Big  Stone  Gap  to  Bristol,  Tennessee,  it  is 
sixty-five  miles,  and  from  Pennington  Gap  to  the  railroad  at 
Rogersville,  Tennessee,  it  is  about  thirty  miles.  The  present 
northern  terminus  of  the  Knoxville  and  Ohio  Railway,  near 
Careyville,  Tennessee,  is  the  nearest  existing  railway  to  the 
southwestern  portion  of  this  region,  and  the  Cincinnati  South- 

3°9 


2O  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

ern  is  within  twenty-five  miles.  It  will  be  observed  by  a  glance 
at  a  railway  map  of  the  United  States  that  the  area  of  South- 
eastern Kentucky  and  Southwestern  Virginia  comprises  a 
portion  of  the  largest  district  barren  of  railways  to  be  found 
east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  A  knowledge  of  the  peculiar 
topography  of  the  Apalachian  Mountains,  partially  shown  by 
the  accompanying  map,  will  explain  the  cause  of  this.  South 
of  the  Potomac  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railway  is  the  only 
road  crossing  this  entire  mountain  system  until  we  reach  the 
Western  and  Atlantic  Railway,  in  Georgia.  Some  of  the 
roads  in  Western  North  Carolina  have  penetrated  beyond  the 
outward  barriers  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  from  the  Valley  of 
East  Tennessee  two  roads  have  gone«to  the  foot  of  the  Unaka 
Mountains.  Realizing  the  importance  to  Kentucky  of  a  road 
crossing  these  mountains  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  uplift, 
for  reasons  which  will  be  apparent  to  all  who  will  study  the 
geology  and  the  variety  of  productions  from  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  coal-field  of  Central  Kentucky,  the 
writer  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  railway  developments 
progressing  in  North  and  South  Carolina  and  East  Tennessee, 
and  was  partially  instrumental  in  bringing  the  parties  inter- 
ested in  perfecting  a  system  of  narrow-gauge  roads  in  these 
States  into  communication.  A  conference  was  held  at  Bristol, 
in  September  of  this  year,  and  the  reports  from  the  various 
roads  are  so  encouraging  that  hopes  may  be  expressed  of  the 
completion  of  a  through  system  of  narrow-gauge  from  the 
Kentucky  coal-fields  to  the  Atlantic  sea-board  at  an  early 
date.  The  projected  road  from  Big  Stone  Gap  to  Bristol, 
Tennessee,  the  present  terminus  of  the  East  Tennessee, 
Virginia  and  Georgia  Railroad  and  of  the  Atlantic,  Missis- 
sippi and  Ohio  Railroad,  has  been  put  under  contract,  to  be 
completed  by  September  i,  1881.  A  narrow-gauge  road 
from  Johnson's  City,  on  the  E.  T.,  Va.  &  G.,  23  miles  west 
of  Bristol,  to  the  Cranberry  ore  bank,  in  Western  North  Car- 
olina, is  under  contract,  to  be  completed  at  the  same  time. 
The  Chester  and  Lenoir,  narrow-gauge,  is  completed  and 
running  from  Chester,  S.  C.,  to  the  Catawba  river,  north  of 
310 


TRANSPORTATION    ROUTES.  21 

i 

Dallas,  N.  C.,  and  is  graded  to  Lenoir,  and  work  will  be 
pushed  north  towards  the  Cranberry  ore.  A  narrow-gauge 
is  completed  east  from  Chester,  S.  C.,  to  Lancaster,  and  it  is 
believed  that  the  road  from  Lancaster  through  Sumter  to  the 
sea-board  at  Georgetown  will  be  soon  under  contract  and 
pushed  to  completion.  A  narrow-gauge  is  in  process  of  con- 
struction from  Fayetteville  through  Greensboro,  N.  C.,  and 
will  unite  with  the  Chester  and  Lenoir  on  the  Blue  Ridge 
plateau,  and  use  a  common  track,  uniting  at  Cranberry  ore 
bed  with  the  road  to  Johnson's  City,  and  probably  making 
short  connection  with  the  Big  Stone  Gap  road.  This  system 
of  roads  will  bring  the  North  Carolina  ores  to  the  Kentucky 
and  Southwest  Virginia  coals,  and  will  open  up  an  immense 
market  to  the  Southwest  for  these  coals.  A  road  chartered 
by  the  Legislatures  of  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  known  as  the 
Richmond  and  Southwestern,  is  now  engaged  in  surveying  a 
route  for  a  narrow-gauge  road  from  Central  Kentucky  to  the 
Virginia  line,  somewhere  between  Pound  and  Pennington 
Gaps,  and  on  to  Richmond,  Va.  This  road  will  give  a  north- 
ern connection  to  the  narrow-gauge  road  from  North  Carolina, 
and  when  built  will  certainly  be  as  favorably  located  to  get  an 
immense  business  as  any  new  road  in  America.  There  are 
no  serious  engineering  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  the 
construction  of  a  railway  through  the  above-mentioned  gaps. 
The  valleys  of  the  streams  in  the  coal-measures  of  Eastern 
Kentucky  are  favorable  to  the  construction  of  railways.  * 

The  Kentucky  Central  Railway  is  now  looking  to  an  exten- 
sion.    Three  routes  are  under  consideration : 

1.  Up  the  valley  of  the  Kentucky  river,  crossing  at  Pound, 
Pennington,  or  Big   Stone  Gaps,  and  forming  connection   to- 
wards North  Carolina. 

2.  From  Paris  or  Lexington  to  London,  and  uniting  with 
the  L.  and  N.  Knoxville   Branch,  via  Barboursville,  Pineville, 
Cumberland   Gap,   to   Morristown,   where   connection   will  be 
made  with  the  railway  from  that  place  to  Wolf  Creek,  on  the 

*  For  additional  information  on  this  subject,  see  Prof.  N.  S.  Shaler's  report  on  "  The 
Transportation  Routes  of  Kentucky,"  Part  V,  Vol.  Ill,  second  series,  Kentucky  Geologi- 
cal Reports. 

3" 


22  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

French  Broad,  and  finally  connecting  with  the  North  Carolina 
system  of  roads  at  Ashville. 

3.  From  London  to  Williamsburg,  and  up  the  Clear  Fork 
of  the  Cumberland,  passing  through  Pine  Mountain  at  Elk 
Gap,  and  uniting  with  the  Knoxville  and  Ohio  Railway  at 
Careyville.  Either  of  the  three  proposed  routes  will  give 
this  North  Cumberland  region  an  outlet  to  the  north  and 
south.  The  Louisville  and  Nashville  Knoxville  Division 
will  extend  on  one  or  two  of  the  proposed  routes  (i  or  2), 
most  probably  through  Cumberland  Gap.  There  are  three 
roads  in  the  eastern  part  of  Kentucky  from  which  we  may 
in  the  future  expect  an  extension  to  the  eastern  portion  of 
this  region — the  Chattaroi  Railroad,  now  completed  to  Peach 
Orchard,  the  Eastern  Kentucky  Railway,  now  engaged  in 
making  a  survey  of  line  into  Morgan  county,  and  the  Cincin- 
nati and  Southeastern,  formerly  known  as  the  Licking  Valley 
Railroad.  A  road  has  been  chartered  to  start  from  a  point 
on  the  Cincinnati  Southern,  in  Kentucky,  south  of  the  Cum- 
berland, and  run  to  the  Cumberland  river  at  a  point  above 
the  falls.  This  road  would  be  of  immense  advantage  to  the 
Upper  Cumberland,  as  navigation  can  be  had  for  boats,  rafts, 
&c.,  and  an  outlet  will  in  that  way  be  afforded.  At  present 
the  falls  and  the  shoals  below  are  a  barrier  to  navigation. 

With  railways  crossing  the  Cumberland  river  at  Williams- 
burg  and  Pineville,  the  navigation  of  the  Upper  Cumberland 
will  be  a  question  of  some  importance.  There  will  be  no 
obstruction  to  descending  navigation  for  the  greater  portion 
of  the  year,  and  I  believe  small  boats  can  ascend  the  Poor 
Fork  of  the  Cumberland  during  several  months  in  the  year. 
The  United  States  Government  has  expended  money  during 
the  past  few  years  in  improving  descending  navigation  over 
the  shoals  between  the  crossing  of  the  Cincinnati  Southern 
Railway  at  Point  Burnside  and  the  Falls  of  the  Cumberland. 
The  falls  must  remain  for  years  to  come  an  impediment  to 
navigation,  as  the  amount  necessary  to  their  canalization  is 
large.  A  possible  water-way  connecting  with  the  waters  of 
312 


TRANSPORTATION    ROUTES.  2  3 

the   Kentucky  river,  and  giving  a  direct  outlet  to  the  Ohio 
river,  is  worthy  of  consideration. 

The  Cumberland  river  at  Barboursville  is  121  feet  higher 
than  the  waters  of  the  Kentucky  river  at  Goose  Creek  Salt- 
works, near  Manchester.  The  summit  divide  between  Rich- 
land  Creek  (emptying  at  Barboursville),  and  Collins'  Fork  of 
Goose  Creek  (see  map),  is  78  feet  higher  than  low  water  at 
Barboursville,  and  less  than  a  mile  through.  A  dam  at  Bar- 
boursville, and  an  open  cut  through  this  divide  of  less  than  a 
mile  in  length,  will  allow  the  waters  of  the  Cumberland  to 
flow  through.  The  amount  of  water  taken  from  the  Cumber- 
land would  be  inconsiderable,  as  it  would  only  flow  when 
boats  were  passing  the  locks,  and  the  supply  taken  for  the 
canal  would  be  from  the  reserve  held  back  by  the  dam  at 
Barboursville,  and  would  hardly  affect  the  flow  of  the  river 
below  that  point.  This  dam  would  afford  slack-water  to  Pine- 
ville,  and  from  there  a  canal  could  be  carried  along  Yellow 
Creek  to  Cumberland  Gap.  It  is  possible  to  connect  this 
system  with  the  river  system  of  Tennessee  by  a  canal  through 
Cumberland  Gap  and  down  Gap  Creek* to  Powell's  river,  a 
distance  of  six  miles  from  the  Gap. 

I  have  in  the  foregoing  report  but  glanced  briefly  at  some 
of  the  most  important  resources  of  this  valley.  There  are 
others  which,  with  the  development  of  the  future,  may  assume 
equal  importance  with  those  mentioned.  To  the  north,  in 
Perry  and  Breathitt  and  Clay  counties,  salt  brine  is  obtained 
from  borings,  and  near  Whitesburg  brine  was  obtained  at  300 
and  400  feet  depth.  Favorable  results  may  be  anticipated 
from  borings  in  this  valley.  I  believe  it  is  an  established 
fact  that  the  petroleum  of  this  country  is  derived  directly  or 
indirectly  from  the  Devonian  Black  Shale.  It  will  be  seen, 
by  reference  to  the  section  on  fifth  page,  that  this  shale,  which 
is  quite  thick  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Cumberland 
Mountain  and  the  western  base  of  the  Pine  Mountain,  is 
below  the  drainage  in  this  valley,  and  the  position  of  the 
rocks,  with  the  superincumbent  weight  of  the  mountains,  is 
most  favorable  for  the  production  of  flowing  wells. 

3'3 


24  RESOURCES    OF    THE    NORTH    CUMBERLAND    VALLEY. 

The  massive  conglomerate  on  the  sides  of  this  valley  is 
a  great  storage  reservoir  of  water,  so  that  the  springs  are 
numerous,  never  failing,  and  bold,  and  the  streams  afford  ex- 
cellent water-power.  The  climate  of  this  section  and  the 
varied  beauties  of  scenery  add  much  to  its  attractiveness. 
Here  we  have  along  the  two  sides  of  this  valley  the  bold 
escarpments  of  conglomerate  along  some  of  the  clear  moun- 
tain streams,  enriched  with  a  profusion  of  rhododendrons, 
kalmias,  azalias,  cucumber  magnolias,  holly,  &c.  The  cen- 
tral valleys,  broad  and  fertile,  are  surrounded  with  gently 
sloping  hills  and  mountains,  covered  with  a  grandeur  of 
forest  nowhere  surpassed.  There  is  no  more  grand  or 
beautiful  scenery  elsewhere  in  the  Alleghenies  than  in  this 
valley.  The  mountains  of  the  Big  Black  are  probably  the 
culmination  of  this  entire  range,  as  are  the  North  Carolina 
Mountains  opposite  the  culmination  of  the  entire  Apalach- 
ian  range.  It  will  be  observed  that  around  these  Black 
Mountains,  on  the  line  between  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  head 
the  Sandy,  the  Kentucky,  the  Cumberland,  the  Powell,  and 
the  Guest's  rivers.  The  genial  summer  climate  is  due  to  the 
high  elevation  of  this  entire  region  above  the  sea  level. 

The  summer  rain-fall  is  greater  than  elsewhere  in  the  Ohio 
Valley.  This  combination  of  advantages  —  healthfulness  of 
climate,  good  soil,  valuable  timbers,  abundance  of  coal  and 
iron  of  excellent  quality,  so  situated  as  to  be  cheaply  mined, 
and  the  certainty  of  transportation  facilities  in  the  near  future 
—certainly  renders  this  country  peculiarly  adapted  to  persons 
seeking  new  homes.  Lands  can  be  purchased  in  large  tracts 
at  a  low  price,  and  the  writer  will  take  pleasure  in  giving  addi- 
tional information  to  persons  desiring  to  investigate  the  re- 
sources of  the  Valley  of  the  North  Cumberland. 
3H 


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